eMailMax 3/17/12 : Page 1

Dr. Flood’s ECRWSS Local Postal Customer VISION CENTER See our ad on Page 5! Dr. Robert Flood O.D. Eye Injury -Glaucoma Dry Eyes -Infections Pa per. ws Ne Your Good www.MailMaxOnline.com Friday and Saturday night. Check it out. As indicated in the story about South Bend Chocolate, the local Panera store has recently changed hands, and is now owned by a crew from California that owns a total of 57 Panera Bread shops across the nation. The store was built by Trigo Foods originally. That team, headed up by Joyce Lunsford still owns a sizable contingent of Pizza Hut res-taurants in West Michigan along with several other brands. No word on what they’ll do to replace Panera in their stable of offerings. It didn’t take long for the space that housed Clancy’s Deli in Southtown St. Joseph for a number of years to find a new tenant. While the windows are all papered over to keep you from any kind of a sneak preview, the signage at least tells of the impending arrival of La Pita. The restaurant opening there next month will offer a new din-ing experience featuring Mediterranean Cuisine. It’s interesting that whoever the owners of that diner are have selected a name that flashes us back to the original occupant of that space. When the building was first built, that space was home to a Mr. Pita franchise operation. There are still about 20 Mr. Pita shops in Michigan, mostly in the southeastern part of the state. The franchise also operates in New York and Colorado. No official date for La Pita in St. Joe has been announced as yet, just “April of 2012.” I’ll share more of the story with you as it becomes available. The Benton Harbor neighborhood dis-enfranchised when their Rite Aid Pharmacy POSTMASTER: Please deliver on March 17, 2012 March 17, 2012 Volume 13, Ver. 11 Moody on The Market MOODY Continued from page 1 SPRING FOR A FRESH, NEW LOOK! F irst things first… Happy St. Patrick’s Day! My father’s Irish heritage reverberates throughout my entire family, and I hope you enjoy a great day of fun and rev-elry. Please remember to employ the services of a designated driver if you’ll be engaging in the sort of merry-making that my father was notorious for. Remember that one of the big-gest parties on the map takes place with tonight’s lighted St. Patrick’s Day Parade through downtown Coloma! “You may be an oxymoron as long as you’re not an actual moron!” Those words are streaming across the bottom of a hand-crafted neon poster hanging in the front dis-play window of the soon-to-be home of State Street Stuff. The fun-loving new owners of the space formerly occupied by La Dee Da Children’s Clothing at 314 State Street in downtown St. Joseph are currently employ-ing that sign as a “help-wanted” attraction, seeking hired help to run the up-and-coming store when it opens in the near future. La Dee Da ceased operations at that site shortly after the first of the year when their lease was up, and elected to move their store to Grand Rapids. Not knowing who will own and operate State Street Stuff at this time, I can only tell you that the sign promises to be a “Groovy and eclectic gift and candy shop” for the central business district. While there is a used home furnishings store in downtown Alma operating under the same name of “State Street Stuff,” this venture would appear to have no relationship to that business. Stay tuned for more on the new retailer coming to downtown. A quick trip to the end of that same block in downtown St. Joseph will find you on the doorstep of The Chocolate Café & Museum operated by South Bend Chocolate Company. A couple of weeks ago, Sue Martinic joined the cast and crew there as the shop’s new General Manager. Sue had been with Panera ever since it opened several years ago, but left recently when that business was sold. (More on that in a minute.) Sue tells me that the Chocolate Café will be undergoing a face lift in the coming weeks with new paint and new flooring on the way among other changes to the shop at the corner of State and Pleasant Streets. St. Patty’s Day partiers will find Irish Crunch, Irish Coffee, and other great specials. Speaking of specials, as warm-er weather arrives, ice cream cones in the sugar cone will be just $2-dollars anytime the temperature reaches 55-degrees or warmer for a limited time. The shop is ready for Easter celebrations with lots of Easter-themed prod-ucts on the shelves. As a bonus, the Chocolate Café continues to offer live music every Continued on page 8 M oody Pat 613 B road S t ., S t . J oSeph , M ichigan • 269-983-7774 • o pen Seven dayS a week and t hurSdayS eveningS . Continued on page 9 closed up shop several years ago is watching new life be breathed into the former retailer in fied in both auto and body repair who has been the form of a new Family Dollar store coming in business for himself for 21 years in the New to the intersection of Pipestone and Britain Buffalo area. You can find his green shop at Avenues a couple of blocks from downtown. 18777 West U.S. 12 in the city, online Workers have been going in and out of the www.classicimportcarrepair.com. If you own or manage a restaurant and store for several weeks now working the retro-would like to exchange ideas with others in the fitting task to convert the store into a discount operation. The new sign on the building was trade, an Open Roundtable for Restaurant erected recently, and inventory should begin to Owners & Managers as hosted by local chap-arrive soon in anticipation of the official open-ter of SCORE of Michigan’s Great Southwest th ing of the store. As word filters in about the is coming your way. Wednesday, March 28 at grand opening, I will try to keep you posted on 9:30am Silver Beach Pizza will play host to the group which has invited all restaurant own-the new Family Dollar store. Pet lovers have a new veterinarian ers and managers to exchange ideas with peers option thanks to a new hire at the Animal to address common problems and improve Care Center on Napier Avenue across from processes. Bill Hart is a SCORE Counselor the entrance to the Orchards Mall in Benton who will moderate the event. He spent the Harbor. Say hello to Dr. Gregg Miller. A greater part of his 30-year career in the food native of South Haven, Dr. Miller brings service industry. This is actually the second more than 30-years of medical and surgical such forum, inasmuch as the group hosted experience with all types of animals to the their inaugural roundtable back in November team at the Animal Care Center. He is a when about seven restaurants turned out for graduate of the Michigan State University the discussion. The roundtable is free and College of Veterinary Medicine. He joins open to any owner or manager of an existing center owner Dr. Joe Turk at a time when the restaurant in the St. Joseph/Benton Harbor center has been very busy. The Animal Care area. In order to give each attendee time to Center can generally schedule most appoint-voice concerns, the session will be limited to ments within a few days of calling, and virtu-roughly a dozen restaurants. If you’d like to ally all sick or injured animals can been seen take part, contact Hart soon at 277-5617. Or immediately for emergency calls. You can online at www.scorekzoo.org. A licensed associate broker and manager reach the crew at 926-2381 or find them online at www.animalcc.com. At that website, by the of Cressy & Everett Real Estate in way, you will find an extensive pet health Edwardsburg has been named 2012 library covering thousands of animal medical REALTOR of the Year for the Southwestern Continued on page 10 conditions. When you become a client, you can even access your pet’s medical records securely online. Harbor Country has added another green business in the form of Classic Imports Ready for a new look? Spring is a great time to freshen up your living space! of New Buffalo. The auto repair facility is owned and operated by Mikail Pinette , who Whether it’s an entire re-do or just the right accent piece -you’ll have fun browsing says that he is aware that the industry gener-through the latest in spring colors and fabrics, furniture, lighting, and accessories ates a lot of waste, some of which is toxic. He to make living space fun, fresh and unique! has your always worked to be as earth-friendly as possible by recycling fluids and filters, but Come in and take a peek -you’ll find that nothing says “Home Improvement” now he has expanded his efforts to include the like HarborTown Interiors! recycling of plastic, glass, and cardboard. Pinette has always recycled oil, coolants, and metals, but he says implementing his green program took the rework of his contract with Waste Management, and some employee training. Now about four months into using the new system, Pinette says he feels it is run-ning smoothly and having now recycled even just oil and anti-freeze containers makes a big impact on what otherwise would have headed to a landfill. is a fun Bosch-trained and Come Pinette in for the of it! supported service center, licensed and certi-MOODY Continued from page 9 MailMax is a publication of Far Ahead Advertising, Inc. 2202 Plaza Drive Benton Harbor, MI 49022 Phone: 269.934.7522 FAX: 269.934.3297 email: publisher@farahead.com www.MailMaxOnline.com •www.facebook.com/eMailMax Inserts & Promotions • Harding’s Friendly Markets • Martin’s Super Markets • Ace Hardware • Von Tobel Lumber & Hardware • Schroeder Furniture Inserts may vary by Zip Code

Moody On The Market

Pat Moody

First things first… Happy St. Patrick’s Day! My father’s Irish heritage reverberates throughout my entire family, and I hope you enjoy a great day of fun and revelry. Please remember to employ the services of a designated driver if you’ll be engaging in the sort of merry-making that my father was notorious for. Remember that one of the biggest parties on the map takes place with tonight’s lighted St. Patrick’s Day Parade through downtown Coloma!<br />
<br />
“You may be an oxymoron as long as you’re not an actual moron!” Those words are streaming across the bottom of a handcrafted neon poster hanging in the front display window of the soon-to-be home of State Street Stuff. The fun-loving new owners of the space formerly occupied by La Dee Da Children’s Clothing at 314 State Street in downtown St. Joseph are currently employing that sign as a “help-wanted” attraction, seeking hired help to run the up-and-coming store when it opens in the near future. La Dee Da ceased operations at that site shortly after the first of the year when their lease was up, and elected to move their store to Grand Rapids. Not knowing who will own and operate State Street Stuff at this time, I can only tell you that the sign promises to be a “Groovy and eclectic gift and candy shop” for the central business district. While there is a used home furnishings store in downtown Alma operating under the same name of “State Street Stuff,” this venture would appear to have no relationship to that business. Stay tuned for more on the new retailer coming to downtown.<br />
<br />
A quick trip to the end of that same block in downtown St. Joseph will find you on the doorstep of The Chocolate Café & Museum operated by South Bend Chocolate Company. A couple of weeks ago, Sue Martinic joined the cast and crew there as the shop’s new General Manager. Sue had been with Panera ever since it opened several years ago, but left recently when that business was sold. (More on that in a minute.) Sue tells me that the Chocolate Café will be undergoing a face lift in the coming weeks with new paint and new flooring on the way among other changes to the shop at the corner of State and Pleasant Streets. St. Patty’s Day partiers will find Irish Crunch, Irish Coffee, and other great specials. Speaking of specials, as warmer weather arrives, ice cream cones in the sugar cone will be just $2-dollars anytime the temperature reaches 55-degrees or warmer for a limited time. The shop is ready for Easter celebrations with lots of Easter-themed products on the shelves. As a bonus, the Chocolate Café continues to offer live music every friday and Saturday night. Check it out.<br />
<br />
As indicated in the story about South Bend Chocolate, the local Panera store has recently changed hands, and is now owned by a crew from California that owns a total of 57 Panera Bread shops across the nation. The store was built by Trigo Foods originally. That team, headed up by Joyce Lunsford still owns a sizable contingent of Pizza Hut restaurants in West Michigan along with several other brands. No word on what they’ll do to replace Panera in their stable of offerings.<br />
<br />
It didn’t take long for the space that housed Clancy’s Deli in South town St. Joseph for a number of years to find a new tenant. While the windows are all papered over to keep you from any kind of a sneak preview, the signage at least tells of the impending arrival of La Pita. The restaurant opening there next month will offer a new dining experience featuring Mediterranean Cuisine. It’s interesting that whoever the owners of that diner are have selected a name that flashes us back to the original occupant of that space. When the building was first built, that space was home to a Mr. Pita franchise operation. There are still about 20 Mr. Pita shops in Michigan, mostly in the southeastern part of the state. The franchise also operates in New York and Colorado. No official date for La Pita in St. Joe has been announced as yet, just “April of 2012.” I’ll share more of the story with you as it becomes available.<br />
<br />
The Benton Harbor neighborhood disenfranchised when their Rite Aid Pharmacy closed up shop several years ago is watching new life be breathed into the former retailer in the form of a new Family Dollar store coming to the intersection of Pipestone and Britain Avenues a couple of blocks from downtown. Workers have been going in and out of the store for several weeks now working the retrofitting task to convert the store into a discount operation. The new sign on the building was erected recently, and inventory should begin to arrive soon in anticipation of the official opening of the store. As word filters in about the grand opening, I will try to keep you posted on the new Family Dollar store.<br />
<br />
Pet lovers have a new veterinarian option thanks to a new hire at the Animal Care Center on Napier Avenue across from the entrance to the Orchards Mall in Benton Harbor. Say hello to Dr. Gregg Miller. A native of South Haven, Dr. Miller brings more than 30-years of medical and surgical experience with all types of animals to the team at the Animal Care Center. He is a graduate of the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He joins center owner Dr. Joe Turk at a time when the center has been very busy. The Animal Care Center can generally schedule most appointments within a few days of calling, and virtually all sick or injured animals can been seen immediately for emergency calls. You can reach the crew at 926-2381 or find them online at www.animalcc.com. At that website, by the way, you will find an extensive pet health library covering thousands of animal medical conditions. When you become a client, you can even access your pet’s medical records securely online.<br />
<br />
Harbor Country has added another green business in the form of Classic Imports of New Buffalo. The auto repair facility is owned and operated by Mikail Pinette, who says that he is aware that the industry generates a lot of waste, some of which is toxic. He has always worked to be as earth-friendly as possible by recycling fluids and filters, but now he has expanded his efforts to include the recycling of plastic, glass, and cardboard. Pinette has always recycled oil, coolants, and metals, but he says implementing his green program took the rework of his contract with Waste Management, and some employee training. Now about four months into using the new system, Pinette says he feels it is running smoothly and having now recycled even just oil and anti-freeze containers makes a big impact on what otherwise would have headed to a landfill. Pinette is a Bosch-trained and supported service center, licensed and certified in both auto and body repair who has been in business for himself for 21 years in the New Buffalo area. You can find his green shop at 18777 West U.S. 12 in the city, online www.classicimportcarrepair.com. <br />
<br />
If you own or manage a restaurant and would like to exchange ideas with others in the trade, an Open Round table for Restaurant Owners & Managers as hosted by local chapter of SCORE of Michigan’s Great Southwest is coming your way. Wednesday, March 28th at 9:30am Silver Beach Pizza will play host to the group which has invited all restaurant owners and managers to exchange ideas with peers to address common problems and improve processes. Bill Hart is a SCORE Counselor who will moderate the event. He spent the greater part of his 30-year career in the food service industry. This is actually the second such forum, inasmuch as the group hosted their inaugural round table back in November when about seven restaurants turned out for the discussion. The round table is free and open to any owner or manager of an existing restaurant in the St. Joseph/Benton Harbor area. In order to give each attendee time to voice concerns, the session will be limited to roughly a dozen restaurants. If you’d like to take part, contact Hart soon at 277-5617. Or online at www.scorekzoo.org. <br />
<br />
A licensed associate broker and manager of Cressy & Everett Real Estate in Edwardsburg has been named 2012 REALTOR of the Year for the Southwestern Michigan Association of REALTORS. Her name is Pam Whitcraft, and she has been licensed since 1992 and has been very active in her career field, including a stint as President of the Association back in 2007. She was awarded the recognition recently in an awards luncheon in St. Joseph.<br />
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Thanks to recent unseasonable weather, the folks at Lake Michigan Hills Golf Club are opening on a weather-permitted basis for those who want to get a jump on the season. For everyone else, Wayne Yamaguchi tells me that reservations for their Season Kick- Off Party are now being accepted. The big event including dancing, drinks and hors d’oeuvres takes place starting at 7pm next Saturday, March 24th. A portion of the proceeds will benefit 100 Women Strong, Berrien Community Foundation, and Southwest Michigan Progeria Research. Make sure you get your reservation in by the deadline which is Monday, March 19th. Gooch has also added Kari Stevens to his staff as Director of Sales and Marketing.<br />
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If your spring cleaning finds you perplexed regarding how to get rid of old major appliances and the like, Butch Genovese from the Recycling Patrol tells me they are launching a great spring offer from now through April 14th. During that time, the Patrol will haul away washers, dryers, stoves, refrigerators and freezers from residences or business sites at no cost to you. In fact, they will give you a $10-dollar Pizza Hut Gift Card during the promotion period. After the spring promotion is over, they will still haul your items away at no charge, you just won’t earn the benefit of the gift card. They also haul away metals, gutters, bikes, grills, electronics, propane tanks, snow blowers and more. They operate in Berrien and Van Buren Counties Monday through Saturday from 8am until 8pm year round and you can reach them at 269-369-1678.<br />
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If you would like your business to “Be the One,” then get Friday, March 30th on your personal calendar for a special seminar presented by Steve Murray, owner and operator of Express Employment Professionals in south St. Joseph. The event is intended to help supervisors, managers and business owners elevate their company to a higher level of performance and productivity. The event costs just $5 and will be presented at the Courtyard by Marriott on Mall Drive in Benton Harbor. Be the One is part of a monthly series on a broad range of topics for business people. You can pay at the door, but registration is strongly suggested as space is limited. The event runs from 7:45am until 9am, and you can call Murray to register at 408-1980.<br />
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That’s all the time and space for this week, kids. Have a great weekend and we’ll see you once again next Saturday right here in MailMax!<br />
<br />
<br />
Pat Moody <br />
<br />
Executive Vice President of Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce pmoody@cstonealliance.org 269-925-6100 ext. 216<br />
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Local Half Marathon Seeks Runners and Volunteers<br />
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The World Championship of Half Marathon’s for Predict - A - Time (PAT) marathon runners will be held in St. Joseph on Saturday, March 24. PAT marathon running is quickly gaining momentum in the running community internationally and Schu’s Grill and Bar is honored to be the title sponsor for this international event. Registration forms are available online at www.schus.com and can be picked up at Schu’s Grill & Bar. Advanced registration is $40 per runner or $50 the day of the run. Runners will receive a dry-fit t-shirt and brunch following the event.<br />
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If you’re not ready for 13.1 miles but want to participate, Schu’s is looking for volunteers to assist with race operations from on course directional assistance, water stations help to finish line support. In exchange for your volunteer time, Schu’s will give each volunteer a gift card for $5 for every hour you volunteer for this event. Contact Mike at 983-7650 to register as a volunteer.